St. Cloud, Minn. – The Northern State University softball team was handed two losses on the road against St. Cloud State in their first weekday double-header. The Wolves fell 4-7 in the first contest and 2-6 in the final game of the day. NSU falls to 2-4 in the conference and 12-18 overall, while SCSU improves to 5-3 in the NSIC and 19-14 overall in the 2016 season.

Game One

The Wolves put a run on the board early, as lead-off batter Kelsey Gale started the game with a line drive single back at the pitcher. Kalie Maiden advanced the fellow senior on an infield groundout. With right fielder Rachel Albright at the plate, Gale advanced to third on a wild pitch. With a 1-1 count, Albright connected for an RBI single to center field to plate the first run of the game. The Wolves would end the half inning with two hits, one run and two left on base.

Northern State held SCSU to two scoreless innings, but lost the lead in the bottom of the third after three base hits and a walk scored two runs for the Huskies. The Wolves found themselves in a jam with one out and runners on first and third, when Tricia DeBoer of St. Cloud State lined out to shortstop, where junior Lauren Kunz fired to first to complete the double play and the inning.

Down 1-2, NSU gained base runner Katelynn Dilts on a throwing error, followed by Michaela Liebl from a four pitch walk. Senior Brittney Lash approached the plate and drilled a single up the middle to tie the game.

SCSU did not let the tie stand long as they exploded for four runs in the bottom of the fourth off of five hits. The Wolves looked to respond in the top of the next inning as Katelynn Dilts led off the inning with a single up the middle. Brittney Lash entered the batter's box next for the Wolves, crushing the ball to dead center for a two-run homerun in her third appearance of the day.

St. Cloud State tallied another run in the top of the seventh inning to make it a 7-4 game, but the Wolves were unable to plate any runs in the bottom of the inning and received the loss.
The Huskies recorded 14 team base hits, with two doubles coming from Rebecca Harps and Libby Bingham. Alyssa Coletto led SCSU with three hits and two runs scored.

Juniors Missy Elkins and Rachel Albright split pitching duties in the contest, as Elkins recorded 3.1 innings from the mound with one strikeout and five earned runs while Albright held the Huskies to six hits and two runs in 2.2 innings. Elkins falls to 7-8 overall on the year.

In 29 at bats, the Wolves notched seven hits. Rachel Alright assisted the Northern State offense, going 3-4 from the plate with one run batted in. Senior Brittney Lash was a threat going 2-3 with three RBI's and one run scored.

Game Two
Northern State fell into a 0-3 hole after the first inning of play in game two, but got their offense going in the bottom of the second. With two outs and down 0-2 in the count, junior Katelynn Dilts drilled a solo homerun to right field, helping the Wolves climb back. The two out rally continued as Jamie Fisher and Courtney Moore each singled to the shortstop. Sophomore Michaela Liebl launched a double to right field in the following at bat to score Fisher from second. The Wolves cut the lead to one run heading into the third inning.

Jessica Goerger of SCSU opened the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo homerun to center. The Huskies sealed the victory by adding two additional runs in the bottom of the fifth, making it a 6-2 contest. NSU was only able to tally two hits their last three at bats from Selke Field.

Jamie Fisher completed six innings from the mound, picking up three strikeouts, allowing ten hits and six earned runs. The freshman is now 3-8 in the 2016 season.

The Wolves finished game two with eight hits in 27 at bats, as seven of their nine batters in the lineup recorded hits in the match-up. Katelynn Dilts propelled the NSU offense with a base hit, a homerun and a run scored.

Northern State will continue conference action from the road this weekend, facing Wayne State at 1 and 3 p.m. on Saturday and taking on Augustana University at 12 and 2 p.m. on Sunday.